15.04.2023

AER acquires Hudson Lifting

UK rental group AER Rents – owned by Ireland's O’Flaherty Holdings - has acquired lifting gear sales and rental company Hudson Lifting of East Tilbury, Essex, from owners and directors Jeff Hudson, Kevin Lewis and Danny Smalldridge.

Hudson and Smalldridge set up the business in September 2018, with Lewis joining them a month or so later. Since then, the company has grown at a steady pace, adding depots in Dartford and West Drayton along the way, as part of its strategy to provide high services levels in its core London market, it employs a team of 23. The company had Net assets of £2.35 million in late 2021, with a tangible net worth of more than £830,000, as well as a very positive working capital position and strong balance sheet.
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Hudson Lifting’s premises in East Tilbury

In addition to its rental business, the company runs a sales operation, offering products from Tractel, Genie, George Taylor, Hi-Force, CMCO, Modulift and Tiger, while also designing and manufacturing bespoke lifting gear solutions through an in-house design team. Its LEEA qualified engineers also carry out in house testing and thorough examinations.

Smalldridge, Hudson and Lewis will remain in their current roles and continue to manage and build the business, with an agreed plan to expand from the current three locations to 12 over the next five years in order to provide a national sales and rental network.
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AER said: “This latest exciting acquisition significantly strengthens AER Rents UK specialist services alongside Welfare 4 Hire, allowing the group to offer a widened range of products and services to its customers in tandem with the general rental offerings from Mr Plant Hire, Drogheda Hire & Sales, Mainline and Chippindale Hire & Sales

Irish group O’Flaherty Holdings began investing in the UK/Ireland rental market in 2014 with the acquisition of Mr Plant Hire, followed by Drogheda Hire & Sales in Ireland in 2020, along with Mainline Hire Group. In 2021 the company purchased Welfare 4 Hire, followed by Chippindale Hire & Sales in 2022. Each business has retained its identity, while working together to provide a wider geographic reach, while benefiting from each other’s specialities, the same will apply with Hudson Lifting.